Cristom Mt. Jefferson Cuvee Pinot Noir 2016
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Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
From a historical perspective, the wines of 2016 bear more than a passing resemblance to two other highly-acclaimed Oregon vintages: 2012 and 2008, years known for producing low yields of small, concentrated berries. Three separate heat swells in early spring of 2016 resulted in three distinct bloom periods, creating small amounts of millerandage, (“chicks and hens”) within individual clusters – which we welcome with open arms, as we firmly believe this only adds to the character and complexity of our wines.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Mt. Jefferson Cuvée Pinot Noir is pale to medium ruby with a hint of purple. It has a lovely spicy nose of Bing cherries, red licorice, cranberries and black cherries over a core of cardamom, wet leaves, Bergamot and cinnamon stick. Medium-bodied and silky textured, it has wonderful concentration of dark fruits in the mouth with great layers of earth and spice—wet leaves, mushroom, clove—with firm tannins to hold up all those layers and delightfully juicy acidity to carry the long, spicy finish.
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James Suckling
Seductively floral red-fruit and sweet-spice complexity to this cleverly styled, quality pinot noir. The palate has an x-factor textural quality that holds firm and long, but does so in an ethereal, elegant mode. Seductive, playful finish. Great value. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Cristom's multivineyard blend is a polished effort that overdelivers for the price. Spicy and pungently herbal aromas lead into flavors of tart strawberry and peppery herb. The leaf and bark aspect is forceful but nicely integrated, and the structure suggests aging this a few years for optimal drinking.
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Wine Spectator
Refined and sleekly built, with precise raspberry, hibiscus tea and spice flavors that take on momentum toward polished tannins. Drink now through 2024.
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Wine & Spirits
Mount Jeff is Cristom’s entry-level wine, and one of the best deals in its portfolio, since it’s typically drawn from the winery’s estate vineyards. This one is all cherry juice and bergamot tea, the fruit brightening with air, moving toward raspberry. It’s well-priced for a midweek pinot.
Other Vintages
2022-
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James
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James
Suckling - Decanter
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Robert
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James
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Wine &
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Cristom Vineyards is a family-owned and operated winery that has established itself as a top producer of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Eola-Amity Hills district of Oregon's Willamette Valley. Second-generation proprietor Tom Gerrie leads the production team, which includes long time winemaker Steve Doerner and recently arrived vineyard manager & winemaker Daniel Estrin. Each bring experience from working at top Pinot/Chardonnay producers in California: Doerner from Calera and Estrin from Littorai. Tom’s parents, Paul and Eileen Gerrie, founded the winery in 1992.
The estate is divided into five single vineyards: Jessie, Eileen, Marjorie, and Louise (all named for Matriarchs in the Gerrie family); and the newly added Paul Gerrie vineyard, acquired in 2012. There are 95 acres on vine throughout the 240-acre property. The majority vineyards are planted at a high density of around 2,300 vines per acre and heavily cropped to produce about 2 tons of fruit per acre.
Cristom farms its estate vineyards according to the biodynamic practices originated by Rudolph Steiner. In 2017 Tom began to implement biodynamic principles to bring the true expression of the vineyard into its wines. Cristom has been a leader in natural winemaking practices, including native yeast and an early pioneer of whole-cluster fermentation in the US. The vineyards and winery are Certified Sustainable by the Oregon LIVE program (Low Input Viticulture and Enology).
Vintage after vintage, Cristom produces top-quality wines, no matter how easy or challenging the elements make it. This consistency is a testament to the deep knowledge of the vineyard, the respect for the land, and a light touch in the cellar. Recognized globally as a leading producer in the beloved Willamette Valley, their wines continue to be a unique blend of tradition, modernity and finesse.
Home of some of the planet’s most amazingly elegant and expressive Pinot noir, the Willamette Valley is a pastoral, mixed landscape of green, bucolic rolling hills, dramatic forestlands and small, independent, friendly wine growers. As a leader in environmental stewardship, the valley has some of the nation’s most protective land use policies, with two-thirds of its vineyards farmed sustainably and over half, organically. While the valley claims a cool, continental climate, and is heavily influenced by the cold, moist winds of the Pacific Ocean, its warm and dry summers allow for the steady, even ripening of Pinot noir.
The potential of Willamette Valley Pinot noir continues to attract the investment of serious growers and winemakers both locally and from abroad, as naturally the finished wines bring accolades from professionals and enthusiasts. With a range of styles from delicate dried cherry, raspberry and hibiscus to stronger notes of truffle, mocha, plum and spice, a fine Willamette Valley Pinot noir is a perfect expression of both character and grace.